Madeline and the Gypsies
Madeline and the Gypsies is an illustrated children's novel by Ludwig Bemelmans. It features popular children's character Madeline. First Published in 1959 by Viking Press. Published by Viking Juvenile. Plot The story begins with Pepito alone in his house as his parents are on diplomatic business overseas. Feeling lonely, he goes over to the boarding school to invite Madeline and the Girls to the Gypsy Carnival in the City. Ms. Clavel consents and they all head into the center of Paris for the Carnival. Everyone has a fun day with the clowns and games and rides. The children particularly enjoy the ferris wheel as Ms. Clavel watches. Suddenly a fierce storm swarms over Paris, forcing the Gypsy entertainers to shut down the carnival. The Girls disembark from the ferris wheel and rush in commotion to the taxi stand where the Gypsies wave goodbye. The Girls and Ms. Clavel arrive back at the school and quickly ditch their rain-soaked clothes in favor of warm pajamas. Ms. Clavel puts them to bed and Mrs. Murphy brings them soup. Suddenly Ms. Clavel realizes something fearful. Madeline is missing! Back at the carnival it is revealed that Madeline and Pepito are still stranded on the ferris wheel, forgotten in the mad dash to get out of the rain. The weather has gotten much worse and the two are cold, wet and scared. Pepito bravely climbs down to get help from the Gypsies. The leader, Mama Gypsy, recruits the Strongman, the Clown and even the troupe's elephant to rescue Madeline from the ferris wheel. Given that it's late and the children are exhausted, Mama Gypsy tucks them in to bed and gives them herbal medicine. Very early the next morning the Gypsies pack up their carnival and set out of Paris by caravan to their next entertainment venue, for they don't like staying in one place too long. By midday the caravan reaches Chateau Fontainebleau outside of Paris. Mama Gypsy gives Madeline and Pepito brunch and shows them the beauty of being out in the world. Madeline and Pepito soon find the perks of being on the road with the Gypsies. In Marly-le-Roi they swim in the local pool with the elephant as hundreds of other French children watch jealously on their way to school. They get to ride the troupe's horse in Chartres and enjoy listening to their songs and stories late into the night at Mount Saint Michel. They have near total freedom and don't have to brush their teeth or go to sleep. The Gypsies teach Madeline and Pepito all kinds of circus tricks, including balancing on a steed in Carcassonne. After some time, Madeline decides to send Ms. Clavel a letter to let her know they're okay and traveling with the Gypsies. By now Ms. Clavel has grown sick with worry. She and the other Girls are extremely relieved to receive Madeline's letter (albeit Ms. Clavel is distressed by Madeline's lapsing spelling). Ms. Clavel recognizes the postmark as Honfleur, Normandy. She and the Girls hop in a cab and rush to the train station to retrieve Madeline. Meanwhile, Mama Gypsy (who is also a fortune teller) sees in her crystal ball than Ms. Clavel is coming to retrieve the children. She has become quite attached to them and does not want them to leave. She goes to Madeline and Pepito, suggesting they take part in a new act. She sews them inside a very realistic lion costume. The children (now referred to as a lion) take part in the next circus performance and put on a very exciting show. After that the "Lion" has dinner and goes to sleep. The next morning the "Lion" goes out for a stroll in the countryside. It wanders into a farm, frightening the farm animals and angering the farmers. The Lion leaves the farm, with Madeline and Pepito realizing their dilemma. They approach a man and his hound who are hunting rabbits and ask for help removing the costume. The hunter panics and runs away, thinking a talking lion is trying to eat him. Madeline and Pepito now know the danger of masquerading outside the circus as a lion, for the French countryside is well armed and will likely shoot at a lion. As the Lion heads back to the carnival, it passes under a train bridge. A train from Paris carrying Ms. Clavel and the Girls passes by on route to Honfleur. The Lion returns to the circus in time for its act. While performing, Madeline spots her class in the front row. The children, deciding they've had enough of being traveling entertainers, rush over to the class. Ms. Clavel and the Girls recognize them immidiately. Ms. Clavel embraces Madeline as the Girls rush the center ring with interest. Meanwhile, all the Gypsies are sad that Madeline and Pepito will now be leaving, especially Mama Gypsy. Ms. Clavel cuts the children out of the lion costume as Mama Gypsy reluctantly brings them their civilian clothes. The children wave goodbye to their old troupe as they board the train back home to Paris. The train arrives back in Paris late at night and soon the class is back at the boarding school. The first order of business is giving Madeline a bath (after being on the road for weeks she's absolutely filthy!) Afterwards they have a big dinner to celebrate Madeline's return. Ms. Clavel then has some difficulty getting the girls to bed as their experience with the Gypsy Carnival has filled them with energy. They wave goodnight to Pepito who's feeling similarly fulfilled as Ms. Clavel turn out the light. After the Girls have gone to sleep, Ms. Clavel comes back into the room with a flashlight, just to count them once more and make sure Madeline is there, sleeping safe and sound. Trivia * Madeline and the Gypsies Ludwig Bemelmans Publisher: Viking Books ISBN 0-670-44682-3 Edition: Hardcover; 1959-09-01 * According to a review in Publisher's weekly, an element from this book is rehashed in a different setting for the posthumously published Madeline book Madeline in America and Other Holiday Tales * In 2008, it was adapted into a musical, with script by Barry Kornhauser and score by Michael Koerner, which premiered at The Children's Theater Company in Minneapolis, MN. * The endpapers show Madeline and Pepito on a horse at the Bridge of Avignon. This is a reference to Madeline's first appearance in The Golden Basket where she and her class played, "On the Bridge of Avignon People are Dancing." Differences between the book and the special * In the book, when Madeline and Pepito were left behind the Gypsy Mama tucks Madeline and Pepito in bed and gives them medicine. In the special, she feeds them a meal. * The Gypsy Mama sews the children in a lion costume in the book when she finds out that Miss Clavel is coming to get them. In the special, she sewed Madeline and Pepito into a lion costume because the performing lion was sick. * The lion gets fed in the book and in the special while Madeline and Pepito are still in the costume, but in the episode, when they're put to bed, only Madeline and Pepito are put to bed and not in the lion costume, just like in the book. * In the book, when Madeline and Pepito get out of the lion costume, Miss Clavel cuts some thread off their heads, but in the special, she sees them in the lion costume. * Madeline gets a bath in the book after getting dirty but in the special she doesn't get dirty. * In the end of the special, Miss Clavel and Pepito's parents sternly tell them not to wander off ever again and they promise not to do something like that ever again. In the book, they don't promise. Songs that appear in the special * Gypsy Caravan * The Show Must Go On * Home, Home Errors * On one page, Pepito's face is pink. This error was not fixed in Mad About Madeline:The Complete Tales. Category:Books Category:Episodes